Johnny Thomas Jr., 43, of Perry, GA was found guilty in Houston Superior Court to Possessionof Hydrocodone and Possession of Codeine and Drugs Not in Original Container on Monday,
May 23, 2011. The jury convicted Thomas of all counts.
Because Thomas had previous felony convictions, he was sentenced to ten (10) years and
ordered to serve seven (7) of those years in prison without the possibility of parole. In addition to
the prison time, Thomas was also banished from Houston County upon his release.
At approximately 3 am on September 8, 2009, Officer Jason Jones of the Perry Police
Department found Thomas in front of a local business which was closed. Suspicious of this
behavior, Officer Jones approached the defendant. Thomas was found to have approximately 30
loose pain pills in his pockets. Thomas did not have a valid prescription for the two different
drugs in his possession. Also in his possession were two razors.
Comments from Assistant District Attorney Jacob W. Poole: “Prescription pain pills are
addictive, abused, and extremely dangerous when used inappropriately. Illegal use, possession,
and distribution of pain killers will not be tolerated in Houston County.”
Comments from District Attorney George H. Hartwig: “Drugs and drug crimes continue to
play a large role in the commission of other crimes in Houston County. Drugs can be linked to
property crimes, identity thefts, personal crimes, and, of course, violence. We will strive to
protect the citizens of this county by continuing to pursue all levels of drug crime activity.”
The sentence was imposed by Judge Edward D. Lukemire on the afternoon of May 23. Thomas
was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jacob W. Poole. Thomas was represented by
Attorney Joshua Morrison with the Public Defender's Office. For additional information, call
ADA Jacob W. Poole at 478-218-4810.